Balancing-machine indicator



y 1944 I. A. WEA-VER ETAL 2,349,530

BALANCING-MACHINE INDICATOR Filed April 22, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 23, 1944.v

. I. A. WEAVER ETAL BALANCING-MACHINE INDICATOR Filed April 22, 1942 IzeJs 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS M 1 1944- l. A. WEAVER ETAL BALANCING-MACHINE INDIGATOR Filed April 22, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet Z5 INVENTORJ P/ZeJ 5 Jin a. lz/eawer Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Illi, a corporation oirl llinois Application sun! 22. 1o4z. "'se,rm.m. liiqltsz 2 Claims.- (Cl. 15. 53)

The present invention pertains to means for indicating the center-pointer the amplitude of vibration oi a rotating, unbalanced member or body and the angular position of such. body as it passes through such center-point, when the body is rotated in a suitable supporting structure wherein there is, to some degree, ireedom for oscillation of such revolving member, at least in one transverse plane.

This invention has as one of its purposes the provision of novel means adapted to be attached to, or associated with, balancing-machines designed to test for, and to correct, unbalance existing in a rotatable member and whereby such means, incorporating the present invention. will denote the middle point of such vibration and the angular position oi such rotating member when it traverses such halfway point.

The prior-art balancing-machines disclose many devices, some of which are adapted to subject the tested body to trial for, and to rectiiy. unbalance in two predetermined planes of cor rection, testing and correcting in each of the two planes by methods which involve mechanism designed to eliminate substantially the of feet-oi unbalance on'one such correction plane upon the other.

The means employing the current invention comprises a simple and exact mechanism to indicate the vibration and the exact center thereof, thereby supplying means for calibrating by test the precise value of the correctional weight required to balance out such vibration. as well as the angular position or point of application of such weight.

No means are provided by this invention for compensation or elimination of the effect of unbalance in one correction plane upon another. when a member is so mounted that this condition exists, but. the present invention will acturately indicate the vibration and the centerpoint or position thereof at the point of attachment 0! the appliance incorporating this invention to any balancing-machine where such conditions prevail, after which, by trial, calculation or additional correctional or compensating apparatus and through the indications of this invention, the proper weight value and its correct angular point of application may be determined.

The earlier art discloses methods and apparatus for ascertaining the "high point or point of maximum displacement oi vibration of a rotating body as indicative of the angular point of weight correction. but this "highpoln will beat a new position for every diiierent value of unbalance as well as !or each change of speed of rotation.

Inasmuch. however. as supplies means for indicating the exact center oi vibration-amplitude v or oscillation, this pro-:

vides means. not aflected by variation in speed of rotation or by value of unbalance, the midposition remaining constant while, as indicated. the maximum point is a variable one with speed and weight.

This novel invention. being electrical in nature and therefore capable of operating at high speeds, is such that members undergoing test may be desirably rotated at their normal operating speeds which may be considerably higher than the critical or resonant speed oi the machine in which the test is being conducted.

To enable those skilled in this art to understand the current invention, present desirable embodiments thereof have been set forth in the several ilgures oi the accompanying drawings, forming a part 0! this specification, and to which reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description.

In these drawings, in which for simplicity, like reference numerals have been used throughout the several views to designate the same parts- Figure l is a plan view of a balancing-machine equipped with the novel type of indicator incorporating-the present invention:

Figure 2 is an end view of the appliance shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a broken-away plan view, on a larger scale, of one oi the "contact mechanisms shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the cam contact structure shown on a smaller scale in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 illustrates the electrical-system incorporating the switch-mechanism shown in Figure 3:

Figure 7 presents the electrical-system includisng the cam switch mechanism of Figures 4 and and Figure 8 shows the complete electrical-system which includes both of the two switch-mechanisms.

The known or conventional balancing-machine with which the novel indicator system is iii shown associated includes a base 2i (Figures 1 the instant invention a revolubly supporting the correlated terminal portion of the shaft 25 on which the body II to be tested is mounted in a manner to revolve with the shaft which is rotated by an electric-motor I! on the base 2| and operatively connected to the shaft by a V-belt 2| cooperating with pulleys on the motor-shaft and on the shaft It.

Obviously, ii the rotating-body 2' is out of balance, it and the pair oi aligned bearingmembers 24, 24 will vibrate or oscillate horizontally transversely of the machine an amount dependent upon the degree of unbalance and upon the speed of rotation.

As to the novel and unique electrical-contact system of this invention for indicating the center a or mid-point of the vibration, it includes a con,- tact 28 (Figures 1, 2, 8, 8 and 8), insulated from, and upstanding from, the aids of and movable with, the bearing ll of, one of the members II in which the shaft 28 revolves. and arranged to cooperate with a companion contact 82 on an electrically-conductive switch-arm 33 oscillatory about a pin 34 mounted on and insulated, in any approved manner (not shown), from a support 35 attached at 86 to one of the posts or standards 22.

Such conductive switch-arm 33 has another contact 81 designed and arranged to coact with an associated contact 38 on an adjustable screw 39 insulated from the support It and having threaded connection with an upright flange 4| of part 35 from which ,the screw is also insulated, in any suitable way (not illustrated), the screw at one end having a knurled knob 42 by which it may be turned tovary the position of its contact 88, the screw in addition being guided in its longitudinal adjustment by, and also in part supported by, a'member 43 carried on but insulated from the element".

A coiled contractile spring 44 connected at one end to switch or breaker arm 38 is fastened at its opposite end to the member 88 by means of an insulation pin, such spring at all times tending to hold the contacts 32 and 29 in engagement and contacts 31 and It together.

When the rotating body 26 undergoing test vibrates horizontally by reason of its unbalance, it similarly vibrates shaft 28 and bearing 8| causing contact 29 to reciprocate back and forth and to oscillate arm 33 in comparable manner, part 29 maintaining engagement with contact 82, except insofar as hearing of the movable contact 31 on its companion, relatively-fixed screw-contact 38 precludes the travel of contact 3| further in one direction, thus providing a time dwell of the contacts in engagement with one another the length of which is determined by the adjusted position of such contact 38.

It will be obvious that, with arm 3! and its two bridged contacts 32 and 31 oscillating in this manner, the screw 89 and its contact II can be so adjusted that the latter remains entirely out of contact with contact 31 leaving contacts 2! and :2 closed the entire time regardless of the oscillation of the former.

By a reverse adjustment of contact 38, it can be brought to a point where the contacts 31 and 38 will remain closed continuously in spite oi the vibration of contact 29.

It is therefore manifest that a point of adlust ment may be found for screw II and its contact 8. such that a time dwell of of rotation or oscillation with contacts I1 and II in engagement for an equal period results in this adjustment will cause a like length of time dwell of contacts II and I! in engagement.

Assuming that such switch-mechanism has been connected in an electric-system as presented diagrammatically in Figure 6 with wire It connecting one terminal of a galvanometer ll, or other appropriate-electrical instrument, to contact ll through screw 8!, wire 6 connecting the other terminal of the galvanometer to contact 29, wire 41 joining one electrode of an electricbattery or other source oi electric-current III to the switch-arm 33, and wire 40 Joining the other electrode of the battery to an intermediate point in a resistance Ii bridged across the galvanometer u, n will be clear that. in such system, when switch "-38 is closed. the electric-current will flow through the galvanometer in one direction tending to shift its needle in one direction. whereas, when switch 284! is closed, the electric-current will flow through the galvanometer in the opposite direction tending to move the needle also in such opposite direction.

Adjustment of screw 38 may be made such as to cause'the needle of galvanometer It to provide a zero or null reading, this indicating equal, alternate time dwells or equal time periods of closure of the two switches 19-32 and 81-" which occur in such rapid succession that the alternating forces on the galvanometer neutralize one another in effect.

It will be perceived that, under such conditions. all four contacts of the two switches are closed simultaneously for an instant only twice per revolution, once during the travel of part 29 in one direction and again during its travel in the opposite direction, these two points being 180 apart in the cycle of rotation.

Stated somewhat otherwise, it should be apparent that a point of adjustment of contact 38 may be readily found such that there will be a substantially-simultaneous, practically-instantaneous closure of one pair of contacts and a separation of the other pair of contacts caused by the vibration of the bearing-member supporting the shaft and the body undergoing examination.

when contact 88 has been thus adjusted during the rotation of the shaft and body, the zero reading of the galvanometer indicates that the center-point of vibration has been located, the axis of the body crossing such mid-point in one direction when the one switch closes and again crossing such mid point, but in the opposite direction, when the other switch closes.

Although such center-point may be thus identified, other or supplementary means are required to locate such point angularly with relation to the axis of the rotary body and such means will now be dealt with.

Referring to Figures 1, 4 and 5, it will be noted that a cam 52, balanced in any appropriate man- .ner so as .to have no eficct on the unbalanced body undergoing test, is attached to one end of shaft 25 so that it, rotates with the body, such cam coacting with a rock-arm 53 through a contact 54 on the arm riding on the cam periphery. such am being hinged or iulcrumed at 55 on an insulation-pin on a disc it from which the arm is thus electrically insulated.

A coiled contractile spring 51 fastened at one end to arm 53 and at its opposite end to an insulation stud on disc It tends to pull the ing or contact N into engagement with the cam-surface.

A contact-screw II adjustable lengthwise in a threaded hole through a bracket II on and insulated from the disc and provided with a locknut ii coacts with a contact I! on the rock-arm.

Disc 56 is fixedly mounted on the end portion of an inner short shaft 03 (Figure 4) tumble in a bearing 64 in the upper end portion of an upstanding bracket (Figure 2) on the bearin member 2, so that the disc vibrates with shaft 25 and body 20, such bearing 04 having aspring friction-device 86 (Figure 4) to yieidingly maintaintshaft 08 in any position of angular adjustmen The end of shaft 61 opposite the disc is joined through two universal-joints ll, 01 and intermediate connection with an outer shorter shaft ll turnable in a bearing 69 at the end of a horizontal bracket II (Figures 1 and 2) mounted on one of the stationary standards 22. the terminal portion of the shaft having a knurled knob I! by means of which the shaft and its associated members may be turned to secure any desired angular adjustment of the disc 80 and the contacts which it carries.

By adjustment of screw-contact II, a position thereof can be ascertained whereby closure between the contacts 50 and 02 will be retained for 180 of rotation of the shaft 20 and cam II and such closure broken for the remaining 180 of rotation of such shaft and cam, and this adiusted position of the screw-contact may be maintained by tightening the lock-nut II on the screw by its engagement with the member II.

The parts are so designed and arranged that. when switch 50-62 is thus closed for 180' of rotation of the shaft and body, the electrical engagement between contact I4 and the metallic or conductive cam 82 will be maintained for the other or remaining 180 of such rotation. it being obvious that, when contact 01 in its backward and forward rocking movement. brought about by the rotation of the cam, engages its companion contact 50, the arm can no longer swing inwardly under the action of spring 01, with the result that contact SI thereafter is out of contact with the cam until the latter, during its continued turning with the shaft and body, again engages it and simultaneously opens switch "-42 and closes switch 52l.

From the foregoing, it should be clear that the two switches 58-62 and 02- have alternate closure periods, which, by adjustment of contact 50, can be made equal, each being for 180'.

Figure 7 depicts an electric-circuit means which may be used for determining when the cam-actuated contacts 60-02 have been arranged or positioned to dwell closed for such 180 and to remain open for the like number of degrees of rotation.

As shown in such figure, one terminal of the gaivanometer I0 is joined by a wire ii to the screw-contact 00 through its support II, the companion terminal of the galvanometer being conoected to ground by a conductor it fitted with a switch 10, an intermediate point of the resistance II, bridging the instrument 10, being united with the conductive rock-arm 03 and its two contacts is and 02 by a wire 11 which includes a battery II or other source of electric-current, the cam 82 and its shaft being grounded at 10.

The determination when 180 switch-closure and 180' switch-open periods have been secured by adiustment of contact II is ascertained by this circuit of Figure I in subttantially the same manner as the system employed in Figure 6 in deter mining the center-point of oscillation or vibration.

In each instance, by reason of the rapid opening and closing of the two switches in alternation, the needle of the electrical-instrument 40 or 10, as the case may he, tends to oscillate in opposite directions from its central zero or neutral position, but, since these opposing impulses are so rapid, the needle cannot respond, and, if these antagonizing or counteracting impulses are of equal strength, the needle remains immovable at its zero or midway position indicative of the attainment of such equality of the two forces involved.

In Figure 0 there has been illustrated a complete or consolidated electric-circuit system incorporating all four electric-switches, that is the two switches used for determination of the centerpoint of vibration-amplitude and the pair of cam-operated switches employed to ascertain the angular position of such centerpoint.

This system comprises a galvanometer or comparable electrically-operated instrument ll bridged by a resistance 06 an adjustable-intermediate point of which is connected by a wire 05, including a battery It, to the movable arm of a switch IL'contact I of which is joined to arm I! by a wire I], contact 2 of which is united with arm 03 by connection 00, a switch 3 being joined to both wires I! and 00.

Wire 08 connects one end of the resistance 84 and the corresponding terminal of the galvanomstar I! to the adjustable switch contact 80, whereasthe opposite end of the resistance and the companion terminal of the gaivanometer are joined by a conductor 9| to the movable contact of a two-point switch 02, whose contact I is coupled by wire I! with the oscillatory contact and whose other contact 2 is connected by wire 98 to the adlustable contact 80.

In addition, the system may be grounded through wire H and switch 15 and the shaft and cam are grounded at 10. a

when the switch-arms of the two switches 81 and II engage their contacts i, i, the centerpoint of vibration-amplitude may be found in the manner hereinabove indicated in connection with Figure 6, and, when such two switch-arms are shifted to touch their contacts 2, 2, and switch It is closed, then the cam-operated switches function as described in connection with Figure 7.

Assuming thatthe adjustments of both movable contacts I! and 00 have been made so that, in each instance, the galvanometer gives a zero or mid-point reading as presented above, it will be obvious that by exchanging or substituting one set of cam-operated contacts for one set of the contacts operated by the oscillation, the former set will remain closed and operative for of revolution and the latter set will be closed andactive for 180' of rotation and oscillation, and then by angular adjustment of the camoperated single pair of contacts, the phase relationship of the two 180 closures may be made exactly oppomi one another at which time only the galvanometer-needle will give a zero reading showing such condition to exist.

The foregoing procedure may be accomplished by causing the switch-arm of switch Ii to engage its contact i or 2 and closing switch I which,

as illustrated, is in direct connection through the wiring shown with both rock-arms I3 and 53 and. by having the switch-arm of switch 82 touch its contact 2 and with switch I8 open, such connections out out the switch 28-32 andsubstitute therefor the cam-operated switch 58-82.

Then, by turning disc 55 by knob 12 and switch 58-52 mounted on the disc, the closing and opening of such switch relative to the rotationof the cam can be altered to bring its 180' period of closure the exact opposite of the 180' period of closure 01' the switch 31,-", and when this is evidenced by the zero reading of the needle of the galvanometer, the power rotation of shaft 25, together with its body 25 and cam 52 is terminated, the adjusted position of the disc and its associated elements being maintained by the friction-device B6, and such shaft and its associated parts are then turned by hand in the same direction only so far as when the cam initiates the closure of switch 58-82, whereupon such manual revolution of the shaft is stopped.

Then the mark 84 is made on the body 26 in register with the end of the pointer 83 carried by the bearing-member directly above the axis of shaft 25.

Such single mark correctly represents one of the two center-points of vibration-amplitude and also the angular position thereof relative to the shaft, it being obvious that the other centerpoint of vibration movement. while the unbalanced body is traveling in the opposite direction, is located 180 from such mark 84.

With this data available, and with further information ,which may be obtained by trial, the proper correctional weight may be ascertained for application to the body at the right point to overcome its unbalance.

I! desired. the hand-rotation of the shaft and body may be continued until switch 55-52 opens as indicated by the galvanometer which is the point 180 from the point of contact making, and, therefore, either center-point of vibration-amplitude may be indicated, it being borne in mind that the oscillating switch contacts close at the We claim:

1. In an indicating-system for use with a balance-testing machine in which the body undergoing baiance-examination is rotated about its axis and is mounted with freedom for transverse vibration in at least one plane, the novel com binationmia first electric-switch actuated by the vibration of said rotating vibrating body, a

. second electric-switch actuated by the rotation center of oscillation once when the oscillation is of said rotating vibrating body, means to cause said first switch to close at one of the centerpoints of vibration-amplitude of said body, remain closed for and then open at the other center-point of vibration-amplitude of said body. means to cause said second switch to remain closed 180' of the rotation of said body, means to adjust said 180 closure period of said second switch around the axis of said body, and electriccircuit and indicating means to show when the 180 closure periods of said two switches are exactly opposed to one another and unitedly constitute the 360 of rotation.

2. In an electric-indicating system. for use with a balance-testing machine in which the body undersoins balance-examination is rotated about its axis and is mounted with freedom for transverse .vibration in at least one plane, the novel combination of (a) means to determine when the rotating vibrating body passes through the centerpoint 01' vibration-amplitude including a pair of electric-switches, means, actuated by the vibration of said body producing alternatin closure periods of the two switches, and means to adjust the periods of closure of said two switches to produce their 180 of rotation equalization, and (b) means to determine the angular-position of said body when passing through said center-point including a third electric-switch, means actuated by the rotation of said body producin alternating 180 of rotation closure and open periods of said third switch, and means to adjust the period of closure of said third switch anguldrly about the axis of said body, to) electrically-actuated indicating-means, (d) electric-circuit connections adapted to be supplied with electric-current and (e) switch-means permitting (1) coupling of said first pair of switches with said indicating-means to determine when said equalization has been effected, and (2) permitting the coupling of one switch of said first pair and said adjustable third switch with said indicating-means to determine when their 180' periods of closure are directly opposed to one another.

IRA A.. VER. CLYDE H. PHELPS. 

